Rebelión en la granja

Dec 16, 2012 Petra X rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

This is not really a review, but one of those moments where everything that was clear to you suddenly becomes utterly muddied and you really can't say what lies beneath the murky waters although a moment before you were sure you could.

I'm reading Christopher Hitchen's astonishingly percipient and brilliant Arguably: Essays. I read Animal Farm too young to identify the individual animals with actual characters on the stage of communism (the old boar Major is Marx, Farmer Jones is the Tsar, the pi...more

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May 02, 2012 Meridyforgot rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. {Please read this first: Okay, I like my original review. It shares my opinion in what I thought was a humorous way. Perhaps if some of you knew me personally, you would find it more funny and actually understand what I am trying to say. However, I have decided to add a "less emotional" review at the end of the original. So if you would like to find fault with the first one, please continue to read the second. If after that, you would like to share a comment that entails of in it's entirety, "Yo...more

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May 19, 2013 Dina Nabil rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike.
No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs.
The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to
pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible
to say which was which.
***********************
قريتها كجزء من نادى كتاب كنت مشتركه فيه...وقتها مكنتش اعرف عن جورج اورويل غير اسمه

فتحت لى مزرعه الحيوانات عالم من السياسه و الادب و جورج اورويل اللى اصبح بعد كده احد كتابى المفضليين

عاده مش بحب الرمزيه بعتبرها...more

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Nov 16, 2008 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008, satire, classics, cover-love

This is a book I've been meaning to read for ages but never got around to - last week I not only read it but gave a lesson on the historical context for the grade 8 class, who will be reading this book and The Wave. As I found, out of the class of 24, about 20 of them had already read the book, and at least one kid knew it was an allegory of the Russian Revolution. Still, my lesson wasn't totally redundant :)

For anyone who isn't familiar with the story, Animal Farm is about the animals on a farm...more This is a book I've been meaning to read for ages but never got around to - last week I not only read it but gave a lesson on the historical context for the grade 8 class, who will be reading this book and The Wave. As I found, out of the class of 24, about 20 of them had already read the book, and at least one kid knew it was an allegory of the Russian Revolution. Still, my lesson wasn't totally redundant :)

For anyone who isn't familiar with the story, Animal Farm is about the animals on a farm in England rising up against the incompetent, cruel farmer (Mr Jones, who represents the deposed Tsar, Nicholas II) and taking over the farm, renaming it Animal Farm (USSR) and - so the glorious vision intended - running it for themselves, so their lives would be better.

The vision is given to them by a pig, Old Major, who dies not long afterwards. Old Major probably represents Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx, and it's not the socialist ideal put forward that is critiqued by this book but how that vision is corrupted by certain other characters, namely another pig called Napoleon, who represents Joseph Stalin. Napoleon chases a pig called Snowball (Leon Trotsky) off the farm with his personally trained dogs (while still just the General Secretary of the Party, Stalin recruited people who would follow him blindly, so that when Lenin died in 1924 he was able to defeat Trotsky for the leadership position and his "dogs" kept everyone else in line).

The pigs then take charge, and with their literacy skills keep changing the rules the animals established in order to suit themselves, using a pig called Squealer to convince the other animals that their memories are faulty. After all, as the drafthorse Boxer keeps saying, "Comrade Napoleon is always right".

Boxer is - for me - the most heartbreaking character in the novel. He represents the peasants, and is the most hardworking animal on the farm. He has utter faith in the leadership of Napoleon and works himself to the bone - literally. His reward is very telling, though I don't want to give it away. Most of the characters represent either a person, several people or groups of people, and for the complete list you can check it out on Wikipedia.

Orwell, while a socialist, was very cynical about Stalin's communist USSR - and for good reason! Animal Farm is a very well-written critique of how socialist ideals are corrupted by powerful people, how the uneducated masses are taken advantage of, and how the dictator or communist leaders turn into capitalists (just look at China). It's a wonderful example of how effective the allegorical style/format can be, and a well-deserved classic.(less)

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Nov 05, 2011 Lou rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: best-reads

Animal Farm was such a great book and demands a re-read. That time is way overdue it has been a while since I read this and I was trying to find a way to review what Orwell was trying to convey in this story. I found couple of good reviews that put it so much better in perspective so why try myself when it's been written about by so many people. When I read it again in the not so distant future I will add my own thoughts So here's to what some readers wrote in a couple of other websites.

Power co...more Animal Farm was such a great book and demands a re-read. That time is way overdue it has been a while since I read this and I was trying to find a way to review what Orwell was trying to convey in this story. I found couple of good reviews that put it so much better in perspective so why try myself when it's been written about by so many people. When I read it again in the not so distant future I will add my own thoughts So here's to what some readers wrote in a couple of other websites.

Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely-and this is vividly and eloquently proved in Orwell's short novel. "Animal Farm" is a simple fable of great symbolic value, and as Orwell himself explained: "it is the history of a revolution that went wrong". The novel can be seen as the historical analysis of the causes of the failure of communism, or as a mere fairy-tale; in any case it tells a good story that aims to prove that human nature and diversity prevent people from being equal and happy ,or at least equally happy.

"Animal Farm" tells the simple and tragic story of what happens when the oppressed farm animals rebel, drive out Mr. Jones, the farmer, and attempt to rule the farm themselves, on an equal basis. What the animals seem to have aimed at was a utopian sort of communism, where each would work according to his capacity, respecting the needs of others. The venture failed, and "Animal Farm" ended up being a dictatorship of pigs, who were the brightest, and most idle of the animals.

Orwell's mastery lies in his presentation of the horrors of totalitarian regimes, and his analysis of communism put to practice, through satire and simple story-telling. The structure of the novel is skillfully organized, and the careful reader may, for example, detect the causes of the unworkability of communism even from the first chapter. This is deduced from Orwell's description of the various animals as they enter the barn and take their seats to listen to the revolutionary preaching of Old Major, father of communism in Animal Farm. Each animal has different features and attitude; the pigs, for example, "settled down in the straw immediately in front of the platform", which is a hint on their future role, whereas Clover, the affectionate horse" made a sort of wall" with her foreleg to protect some ducklings.

So, it appears that the revolution was doomed from the beginning, even though it began in idealistic optimism as expressed by the motto" no animal must ever tyrannize over his own kind. Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers. "When the animals drive out Mr. Jones, they create their "Seven Commandments" which ensure equality and prosperity for all the animals. The pigs, however, being the natural leaders, managed to reverse the commandments, and through terror and propaganda establish the rule of an elite of pigs, under the leadership of Napoleon, the most revered and sinister pig.

"Animal Farm" successfully presents how the mechanism of propaganda and brainwashing works in totalitarian regimes, by showing how the pigs could make the other animals believe practically anything. Responsible for the propaganda was Squealer, a pig that "could turn black into white". Squealer managed to change the rule from "all animals are equal" to" all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others". He managed to convince the other animals that it was for their sake that the pigs ate most of the apples and drank most of the milk, that leadership was "heavy responsibility" and therefore the animals should be thankful to Napoleon, that what they saw may have been something they "dreamed", and when everything else failed he would use the threat of " Jones returning" to silence the animals. In this simple but effective way, Orwell presents the tragedy and confusion of thought control to the extent that one seems better off simply believing that" Napoleon is always right".

Orwell's criticism of the role of the Church is also very effective. In Animal Farm, the Church is represented by Moses, a tame raven, who talks of "Sugarcandy Mountain", a happy country in the sky "where we poor animals shall rest forever from our labors". It is interesting to observe that when Old Major was first preaching revolutionary communism, Moses was sleeping in the barn, which satirizes the Church being caught asleep by communism. It is also important to note that the pig-dictators allowed and indirectly encouraged Moses; it seems that it suited the pigs to have the animals dreaming of a better life after death so that they wouldn't attempt to have a better life while still alive...

In "Animal Farm", Orwell describes how power turned the pigs from simple "comrades" to ruthless dictators who managed to walk on two legs, and carry whips. The story maybe seen as an analysis of the Soviet regime, or as a warning against political power games of an absolute nature and totalitarianism in general. For this reason, the story ends with a hair-raising warning to all humankind:" The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again: but already it was impossible to say which was which".

http://more2read.com/?review=animal-farm-by-george-orwell (less)

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Nov 10, 2011 Bonnie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: banned-books, classics, audiobooks, 1001, bbc-said-so, full-of-wonderful, library

Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!

Another on my list of Banned/Challenged books.

Having missed this in my childhood education it's always been one that I've heard so many things about but have never been able to experience. I have to say that I'm quite glad I didn't read this until later in life because I don't believe I'd be able to appreciate it or understand it half as much as I would have in my early teens. I remember hearing about this book when I was younger and thinking that...more

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Jun 17, 2013 Alex rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Animal Farm: A Tour De Force "Fairy Story"

The original title was "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story".

With so much already written about it, I will endeavour to review and analyse what most others have not. The book is a simple "fairy story" about animals on a farm, a strong political allegory, and most importantly, a fine piece of prose.

Indeed this was one of those books that I started again immediately after finishing. The story itself was captivating, when reading, I had that greedy feeling of wanti...more Animal Farm: A Tour De Force "Fairy Story"

The original title was "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story".

With so much already written about it, I will endeavour to review and analyse what most others have not. The book is a simple "fairy story" about animals on a farm, a strong political allegory, and most importantly, a fine piece of prose.

Indeed this was one of those books that I started again immediately after finishing. The story itself was captivating, when reading, I had that greedy feeling of wanting to finish it all in one sitting.

I really liked how Orwell portrayed a different class of people through each animal on the farm. This simplification of a society into a farm is very effective. By animal analogy, the society depicted is easier to imagine, and key themes more vivid such as power, manipulation, and gullibility. You can probably figure out what class of people each animal represents.

The most interesting character to me, by far, was Benjamin the Donkey. He stands almost aloof from Animal Farm, taking no political stance, merely remarking upon the change in the farm's governance that “Donkeys live a long time. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey.”

He is the only animal who does not clearly represent a class of people. He adds to the tragedy of the book. I interpret him to be the voice of hindsight unable to change the past; apathetic to the present, looking back with cynicism at what has happened, what is happening, what is about to happen.

The simple, factual prose makes the book's message poignant. It is quick, sharp, and powerful. This is not a book which leaves you with a happy feeling at the end, so I can understand why some dislike it. It is a great read, in the same way that Shakespeare's "Macbeth" is a great but tragic play. The book leaves you winded by its force. The sheer impact and simplicity make this a very lucid allegory. Few other books have the same "power".

The book is short but deep, with much scope for re-reading and interpretation. I first read it at face value as a story about animals. Then I read it as a political message. Now I read it as a mastery in the art of allegory. It is the understated way in which the book is written which makes it so powerful yet so simple. Don't just look at the animals; don't just look at the message; look at the writing. Plain and simple language, short sentences, and mostly descriptive.

This is a book EVERYONE should read. No experience necessary. Having your own interpretation will add to the experience - make up your own mind what Animal Farm means. I don't think any book so short has ever had so much written about it.

Five stars for power. Five stars for allegory. Go read it. It won't take long.(less)

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Feb 10, 2008 Sabine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I absolutely loved this book. It wasn't boring to me at all. I think Orwell did a great job of symbolizing all the injustice that happens in name of an outside force and how simple minded people who do not educate themselves get taken advantage from, be it West for Soviet Russia, America for Iran or Terrorists for the United states.

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Oct 07, 2011 Sita Sargeant rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone should read it at least once

Recommended to Sita by: A few different people...

Shelves: own, classic, reviewed, nl

Animal Farm is one of those classic books that I’m always hearing people talk about. People are always telling me it’s one of those books you just have to read before you die (even though I don't plan on dying anytime soon, I thought I would get the book out of the way). So, when I found the book in my dads collection I thought “why not? Let’s see what all the fuss is about.”

I can now see what all the fuss was about. This book was amazing and I am really glad that I finally took the time to rea...more

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Apr 02, 2008 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

I felt like this was one of the best books I have ever read. I was left with a crazy feeling in my stomach of sadness and awe, because I believe Orwell has wrote a masterpiece. At first, before reading it, I was nervous I would not see the satire and I would not connect it to Communism. Yet it was blantantly obvious and while pulling the readers to sympathize with animals like Boxer and Benjamin, one could dare to predict what would happen next and come to hate the pigs and Napoleon. At first, i...more I felt like this was one of the best books I have ever read. I was left with a crazy feeling in my stomach of sadness and awe, because I believe Orwell has wrote a masterpiece. At first, before reading it, I was nervous I would not see the satire and I would not connect it to Communism. Yet it was blantantly obvious and while pulling the readers to sympathize with animals like Boxer and Benjamin, one could dare to predict what would happen next and come to hate the pigs and Napoleon. At first, it almost showed how Communism COULD work, in a perfect, selfless world. I was confused a bit and was thinking that it was not that bad. But then, I realized all the issues and from every problem, like changing the commandments and bartering with humans, and I saw the terrors Commmunism can bring. I really enjoyed reading the book (even though the ending was sad and I was very upset when Boxer died) and I have already recommended to it to several friends. It was an easy read, but made me think a lot after. That last sentance was really a well-deserved slap in the face to humankind and it left me with chills. I loved the book!

comment part 2- While the book was a blatant example of Communism, Orwell also seemed to mean it as society as a whole. Socialist, Communist, whatever, any nation could have been taken advantage of like the farm was. Any nation could develop unfair classes, and it almost reminded me of the French Revolution - 3 Classes they had, and once you were the lower class, you could never be higher. Also, it seems once you're the lower class you don't really realize you are the lower class, you instead blindly follow. That was greatly shown by Boxer's quote, "Napoleon is always right." With an attitude like that, no one could even stand up. Another way it reminded me of the French Revolution was when there were blind executions and forced confessions and everyone wanted to put everyone to death by guillotine (dogs?). In addition, any nation could have a constitution of some sort and have it altered, yet the animals were so blind they either didn't notice or couldn't do anything about it. It was kind of a downer about society, or perhaps just a warning.

I thought it was on the list. :((less)

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Feb 15, 2013 أميــــرة rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: مفضلة, كتب-علمتني-الكثير

إذا قرأت "مزرعة الحيوانات" ولم تعلم أن كاتبها إنجليزي لربما ظننت أنه عربي الأصل! وإذا قرأتها وأنت لا تعلم أنها كُتِبت عام 1943 لربما حسبتها إصدارًا حديثًا!
بعد أن أنهيتها قرأت عنها بعض الدراسات النقدية من نقّاد مختلفي الجنسيات، وقد أجمعوا على أن تفرُّد أورويل يرجع إلى أنه كتب رواية تصلح لأي زمان ومكان.

كتبها أورويل تأثُرًا بالحرب العالمية الثانية، وكانت "المزرعة" هي الإتحاد السوفييتي، وكان لكل شخصية في الرواية من يقابلها في ذلك الوقت. ورغم ذلك عندما تقرأها ستجد في رمزيتها تقاربًا شديدًا مع واقعنا،...more إذا قرأت "مزرعة الحيوانات" ولم تعلم أن كاتبها إنجليزي لربما ظننت أنه عربي الأصل! وإذا قرأتها وأنت لا تعلم أنها كُتِبت عام 1943 لربما حسبتها إصدارًا حديثًا!
بعد أن أنهيتها قرأت عنها بعض الدراسات النقدية من نقّاد مختلفي الجنسيات، وقد أجمعوا على أن تفرُّد أورويل يرجع إلى أنه كتب رواية تصلح لأي زمان ومكان.

كتبها أورويل تأثُرًا بالحرب العالمية الثانية، وكانت "المزرعة" هي الإتحاد السوفييتي، وكان لكل شخصية في الرواية من يقابلها في ذلك الوقت. ورغم ذلك عندما تقرأها ستجد في رمزيتها تقاربًا شديدًا مع واقعنا، وستقفز الشخصيات المقصودة إلى ذهنك سريعًا، وسيتكرر هذا أيًا كانت جنسيتك! التفسير الوحيد هو أن طبائع البشر واحدة في كل الأزمنة، وإن اختلفت الظروف، ومصائر الشعوب تكاد تتطابق عند قيام الثورات، سياسية أو اجتماعية، والسبب أن زعيم الثورة -أو مكتبه السياسي أو عصبته الحاكمة- يتحول تدريجيًا إلى نظام الحكم المطلق، وتحل طبقته محل الطبقة التي ثار الشعب ضدها من قبل، وإن كان يطالب بالحرية في البداية فسيقننها لاحقًا منعًا للفوضى، وإن كان يطالب بالعدالة في البداية فسيصدر قوانين تعسفية ولوائح جديدة بدعوى أن "الظروف تقتضي ذلك"!

عمومًا الإنترنت حافل بالدراسات المحترمة والممتعة عن تلك الرواية، لمن أراد التعمق في فهمها بعد قراءتها.

وبقى أن أشكر (عبد الحميد الكاتب) الذي قام بعرض تلك الرواية -وليس ترجمتها حرفيًا- بمهارة، وأرفق مقدمة وجيزة عن حياة أورويل، وتذييل رائع عنها ذاتها.

(less)

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Nov 20, 2008 Manny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A perfect book. People will still be reading this in a thousand years time, when communism is just a footnote.

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Aug 26, 2007 Tessa De Guzman added it · review of another edition Recommends it for: curious children

Funnily enough, i read this book as a child and thought that it really WAS about animals. I remember thinking, Evil Pigs, I'm glad you're bacon in MY world, and Poor Hardworking Horsies, come live on my farm instead. You can have all the hay and makopa you want (sadly, no apples, tropical climate).

I reread it after education spoiled my natural inclinations for fast and absolute punishment of evildoers and eternal rewards for the good. I do find it pleasantly strange that these animals are symbol...more

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Aug 23, 2007 Steven rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: politics, class, 1001, time-100

Wow. It took maybe a couple of hours to read this book - talk about a couple of hours well spent. I always thought I knew the story well, but reading its presented a wholly different experience. After a speech by wise Old Major , the great pig (read Marx/Lenin), in which it is noted that the life of an animal is misery and slavery and than man is the only creature that consumes without producing, the animals rise up and throw off the yolk of their oppressive master Jones (read Romanov family). T...more

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Jan 05, 2009 Zinta rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It wasn't my first stay on the farm. I'd read Orwell as a girl, one with ethnic roots reaching back to the Baltic States (Latvia) then occupied by the Soviet Union, and so having grown up on stories of human cruelty and betrayal, of human nature gone corrupt when faced with the seduction of power -- all of that rather than the common, soothing fairy tale. For that reason, I surely understood it on a deeper level than most of my peers. I was fifteen the first of many times I visited the Soviet Un...more It wasn't my first stay on the farm. I'd read Orwell as a girl, one with ethnic roots reaching back to the Baltic States (Latvia) then occupied by the Soviet Union, and so having grown up on stories of human cruelty and betrayal, of human nature gone corrupt when faced with the seduction of power -- all of that rather than the common, soothing fairy tale. For that reason, I surely understood it on a deeper level than most of my peers. I was fifteen the first of many times I visited the Soviet Union. And even though I had been born in the then freedom of the United States, I understood well enough that what I was witnessing was the essence of evil.

George Orwell was a socialist. With leanings towards Trotsky, perhaps an idealism that would be tested by the ugly reality of human nature, he did not stand where I stood in terms of ideology. I leaned more towards a laissez faire capitalism, a system never tested on this planet to this very day, but that did not detract from my enthusiasm for "Animal Farm." On this barnyard, we saw eye to eye and snout to snout.

"Animal Farm" is a story as if written for a child, and yet, not. Its language is simple. But the adult aware of history and politics, of the ways of government out of control, fully recognizes the parallels Orwell intended with the Russian Revolution. His animal characters had human counterparts. Marx, Trotsky, Lenin, Stalin, all find their form here among pigs become men, or is it men become pigs. Guard dogs mimic KGB, hard working horses (Boxer) mimic the hardworking proletarians, tragically deluded. A farm of abused and overworked animals, often slaughtered when they have passed their prime as work animals, revolt against the farmer - mankind - surely the epitome of cruel animal. Alas, given such power as to run the farm themselves, the animals quickly shift into social classes delineated by power. Pigs rule, and with their rule comes privilege. To sustain privilege, the pigs change laws to their convenience and pleasure. The basic tenet of "All animals are equal" becomes "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others."

Orwell wrote about the Russian Revolution. And well he should, because it can be argued that the cruelty of that government has as yet not been fully understood by the "free world" even today. Yet the power and timelessness of this tale is that it can be applied to all governments when not held firmly within their checks and balances -- and frightening parallels can be witnessed in the current administration of the United States. I reread the book today with growing dis-ease. With all of our talk of superiority, our Patriot Acts and our eavesdropping, our acts of aggression and our collective amnesia surrounding the Geneva Act, there but for the grace of God go we... (less)

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Jul 10, 2012 أحمد rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

استمتعت بقرائتها منذ عشرة سنوات! استمتعت بقرائتها منذ ثلاث سنوات! واستمتعت بقرائتها منذ شهرين! القصة أصبحت جزءا من خلايا دماغي. لا أنساها إلا لأتذكرها عندما أمر في حياتي بموقف يذكرني بها. وما أكثرها من مواقف!

أحمد الديب
ديسمبر 2008

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Oct 04, 2010 NG added it · review of another edition

هي رواية رائعة بلا شك، استمتعت بها كثيرا.. أورويل عنده مقدرة عبقرية على نسج الأحداث، وسرده ممتاز..
ولكن استرعى انتباهي تصنيفها "من أعظم الأعمال"، فهي إسقاط مباشر جدا، سرد لتاريخ قيام الاتحاد السوفيتي، مع إبدال أسماء الشخصيات بأسماء حيوانات.. وأرجح أن سبب الشهرة العظيمة التي حازت عليها، هو مهاجتها للفكر الشيوعي وتصويرها للشيوعيين كخنازير ومعتنقي هذا الفكر كبهائم، وهو ما كان كفيلاً بإنجاح أي رواية تكتب في الغرب في الفترة من 1945 وحتى انهيار الدولة الشيوعية.

أورويل كاتب ممتاز، أسلوبه سلسل، وكذلك تسل...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Alex rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reading-through-history, 2012

Let's get this out of the way immediately: Animal Farm is not a satire of socialism as a concept. It's clearly not. That it was ever taken as such (as I was taught in middle school) is an example of exactly what it and 1984 warned against: the dissemination of an outright lie for political purposes, believed by sheep. It's the same book 1984 is: it warns against totalitarianism, the corruption of the democratic socialist ideal that George Orwell fervently believed in. It's a critique of Stalin.

W...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Mahmoud Homsi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: english-novels, to-read-in-2013

This is an amazing symbolic novel .. It has a lot of symbols in it that explains all the dictatorial regimes' way in stealing the revolutions.
What impressed me is the closely dictatorial regimes that resemble each others ...

The best character that I liked in the novel is Benjamin, the donkey
cos' he knew from the beginning and before the rebellion that nothing will change !!

Some great symbols in the novel :

* All Animals are equal ... it became All Animals are equal but some animals are more equal...more

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Dec 17, 2012 midnightfaerie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

An Animal Tale of epic proportions, Animal Farm is yet another creative way an author has found to express his political beliefs. Orwell, completely against Totalitarianism and all it encompasses, uses animals to show how power can corrupt when left to its own devices. The story is about an animal farm that is tired of the terrible treatment they receive from Jones, the drunk owner of the farm. One day after another binge, he forgets to feed the animals and having had enough, they rebel. They at...more An Animal Tale of epic proportions, Animal Farm is yet another creative way an author has found to express his political beliefs. Orwell, completely against Totalitarianism and all it encompasses, uses animals to show how power can corrupt when left to its own devices. The story is about an animal farm that is tired of the terrible treatment they receive from Jones, the drunk owner of the farm. One day after another binge, he forgets to feed the animals and having had enough, they rebel. They attack the humans and chase them off of the land, claiming it for their own. In the beginning, they declare "All animals are equal", and strive to live up to their noble intentions. But, as Orwell demonstrates, some aren't content to live in equality and scheme to find ways that elevate themselves to power. The pigs, being the most intelligent, with the ability to read, are the ones that vie for the power, some being more obvious in their scheming than others.

Later on, the rules end up changing and their motto becomes "All animals are equal, some just more equal than others." The pigs, which end up walking on two feet, imbibing in alcohol and trading with other humans, break all the rules that were first established and live a life of luxury, off of the other animals hard work. In the end, the animals can't tell the difference between the pigs and the humans anymore.

There has been much discussion on whether this book was an allegory or even a representation of the Soviet rule, but whatever the case, the message is clear, absolute power corrupts absolutely. I don't think anyone can disagree that this extreme case of Totalitarianism is bad. The debate comes in when we look at whether this would be the case if people were left to their own devices without government or rules initially. Would we feel the need to create rules? To enforce them? To elect a leader? Why couldn't the animals all live peacefully as they were? The answer is simply because now they have to take care of themselves, whereas they didn't before. Now it's their responsibility to feed themselves and that requires work and organization. But couldn't we find an efficient method of creating rules and doing the work? I don't think that this situation would always turn out this way. Who's to say we wouldn't elect someone like Old Major, someone with equality and fairness as his core beliefs? I'm not sure this extreme result would always be the outcome.

That aside, I actually found the crow the most intriguing part of the story. I have to admit I had never heard what Animal Farm was about, so it took me a bit into the story before I realized the significance of the name Napoleon for the conniving pig. Once I did, it was easier to recognize the significance of the crow's name, Moses. Moses was the one character outside of it all. One that didn't seem to buy into the rebellion. Instead he preached about "Sugar Candy Mountain", that wonderful place in the sky where the animals could have peace and rest. Obviously this bird represented religion and/or the church, but what exactly was Orwell trying to depict with this? Was it that, if the animals had only listened to Moses more, they would have found the happiness and peace they were searching for? Or was it a means by which the pigs used to distract the animals from questioning their motives? I'm still not sure. After reading some other reviews, a third and interesting hypothesis has been brought up. That Orwell is trying to depict how when Old Major is first speaking about his ideals in the barn, and Moses is asleep, that the church was asleep when Communism first came into the picture? I'm not sure, but it's an interesting argument to be sure.

I must also note, that it must be said, that Orwell is confusing and sometimes contradicts himself when trying to come across with his beliefs. He's been stated as saying he's a "democratic socialist", yet is against totalitarianism. The definition of socialism is "a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole." And it seems to me, that the animals start out with the utopia of socialism and it ends up being totalitarianism. So, to me, it almost seems as if he is saying that socialism, left in it's perfect form to do as it will, will eventually turn into a totalitarian regime. Which, to some aspects, I agree with. I very much enjoyed Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, and felt that book held that belief as well. But with Animal Farm, I think there's a fine line between socialism as a general good and socialism as seen from Marxism (the stage following capitalism on it's way to becoming communism), and sometimes it's unclear as to which thought Orwell is adhering to. But that could be a whole big debate, and I'm just not willing to turn this into a political debate.

Also, a short note on the movie with the Jim Henson muppets. Nothing short of amazing. The movie was a great representation of the book, entertaining and disturbing. I also love how the muppets can look so real and disgusting at the same time.

In the end, I found the book delightful, and a refreshing change at depicting political agenda. I think it raises more questions than it answers, and it's definitely a classic. It's original, has a huge following, it's been around for a while, and it's controversial. Highly recommended.

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Jul 16, 2008 sahar alimohammadi added it · review of another edition

با خواندن این کتاب به یاد همه انقلاب های جهان افتادم،خصوصا انقلاب اسلامی خودمان!

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Sep 18, 2011 Carlo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: english-literature, to-be-read-again, literary-fiction, politics

I don’t think I can add much on what have already been said about this book. It is indeed a very good book, beside one or two things that didn't feel right to me.

I believe that the analogy Orwell made between humans and animals has an obvious flaw: Almost all the miseries of the majority of human beings in reality - who are represented by the oppressed animals in the book - were caused by their fellow humans, whereas most miseries of the animals were due to their nature and the fact that they w...more I don’t think I can add much on what have already been said about this book. It is indeed a very good book, beside one or two things that didn't feel right to me.

I believe that the analogy Orwell made between humans and animals has an obvious flaw: Almost all the miseries of the majority of human beings in reality - who are represented by the oppressed animals in the book - were caused by their fellow humans, whereas most miseries of the animals were due to their nature and the fact that they were animals. Plus, I couldn't ignore the notion that the animals were not equal with one another. Of course, I am not referring to the fact that some animals claimed authority over the others, but rather to the inequality due to their being of different kinds with different capabilities. I can understand that each group of animal represents a different class of people, but even with that in mind there is an intrinsic equality between people (after all they are born with the same capabilities of learning and perceiving the world around them) which was missing between the animals of the book. For example the pigs were good at learning language but horses were not. I can’t see how the pigs are responsible for this. I'm not saying that the analogy is wrong, instead it is just not strong enough. I believe that an analogy works best when it corresponds with the reality as much as possible.

Another thing that didn't feel right was the single commandment ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS, which probably is the premise upon which the book is supposedly made. Apart from the obvious contradiction of the two sentences, which of course is relevant and apt to the theme of the book, the commandment is not very powerful and didn't elegantly describe the totalitarianism which was at work in the farm. In short, I was expecting something more profound from Orwell, for whom I have the highest regard.

But the thing I admired most in this book was its brevity. As we see in this very book, time has a numbing effect which is clearly demonstrated in the book when the animals begin to question their own memories about certain facts as time goes by. The book being short emphasizes the contrast between the beginning and the end, which afer all is what the book is all about.

So, I can't say I didn't enjoy the book. It contains some very powerful and vivid moments, and it is relevant today as much as when it was written if not more. It is obvious that Orwell had the USSR in mind when he wrote it, but I believe if he was alive today, he would have written a much gloomier version of it, in which the animals were very happy eating burgers and watching Twilight, while Napoleaon and his friends consuming them bit by bit.(less)

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Jan 13, 2011 Matt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Keep your Melville, with his dense, Scripture-based allusions. Stow your Dostoevsky, with his endless psychological babbling. Retain your Hawthorne, with all his thee-and-thou-studded dialogue. Instead, give me George Orwell, a writer of classics that are as easy to understand as any book by Ricahrd Scarry or Stan & Jan Berenstain.

Oh, to be sure, there is something to be said of the struggle and the rewards of some of classic literature's heftier entries. This is especially true if you can...more

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Mar 14, 2009 C. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Communist sympathisers

Shelves: own-or-access, undeservedly-popular

At first I was delighted and amused to see the events of the Russian revolution to perfectly mirrored in this happy little animal fable. But somewhere around the time when the conflict between Stalin's 'Socialism in One Country' and Trotsky's 'Permanent Revolution' was reduced to the following description:

"According to Napoleon, what the animals must do was to procure fire-arms and train themselves in the use of them. According to Snowball, they must send out more and more pigeons and stir up re...more At first I was delighted and amused to see the events of the Russian revolution to perfectly mirrored in this happy little animal fable. But somewhere around the time when the conflict between Stalin's 'Socialism in One Country' and Trotsky's 'Permanent Revolution' was reduced to the following description:

"According to Napoleon, what the animals must do was to procure fire-arms and train themselves in the use of them. According to Snowball, they must send out more and more pigeons and stir up rebellion among the animals on the other farms."

I started to feel insulted. Perhaps because of the ridiculous amount of research I did on this topic, I couldn't stand to see it distilled down into such simplistic terms. By then in fact, the whole concept began to jar. The characterisation of the Russian people as dumb animals, without the intelligence even to read, seemed to me to be needlessly cruel.

Animal Farm reminds me more than anything of a task I had to do in year 11 history. From a number of options, I chose to make a children's propaganda book to promote Communism in Russia. I created a story based on the fable of The Ant and the Grasshopper, where the ant was a communist and the grasshopper was a capitalist. Note that at this time I had no conscious knowledge of Animal Farm. If a sixteen-year-old of no special intelligence could think of such a similar concept to Animal Farm, how can Orwell be such a genius?

My story of the ant and the grasshopper was crude and simplistic, in the manner of the Soviet propaganda I was trying to mimic. The grasshopper had an evil face and a dollar sign drawn on his top hat, while the ant had a pretty smile and a little red scarf to keep her warm during the cold winter. Animal Farm seemed to me to be just as crude, in such a way that it degrades the suffering of the Russian people and the complexity of the Communist cause.

As such it seems to me that Orwell stoops to the same level as the Soviets; Animal Farm is just anti-Communist propaganda, plain as day. Nonetheless I still give it three stars because it does show the dangers and failings of Communism very clearly and powerfully.(less)

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Mar 09, 2008 Idle Hippo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classic

Untuk menikmati buku ini sepertinya anda harus memiliki ketertarikan mengenai politik atau minimal mengetahui sedikit tentang sejarah Uni Soviet dan komunisme.
Sebuah alegori, satir dan parodi yang ngeledek habis-habisan komunisme, Uni Soviet dan tentu saja Stalin.
Cerita dimulai dari seorang.. eh, seekor babi hutan tua (Major) disebuah peternakan yang mendorong para ternak2 untuk memberontak dan mendirikan peternakan yang dikelola oleh mereka sendiri. Para binatang akhirnya memberontak dengan m...more
Untuk menikmati buku ini sepertinya anda harus memiliki ketertarikan mengenai politik atau minimal mengetahui sedikit tentang sejarah Uni Soviet dan komunisme.
Sebuah alegori, satir dan parodi yang ngeledek habis-habisan komunisme, Uni Soviet dan tentu saja Stalin.
Cerita dimulai dari seorang.. eh, seekor babi hutan tua (Major) disebuah peternakan yang mendorong para ternak2 untuk memberontak dan mendirikan peternakan yang dikelola oleh mereka sendiri. Para binatang akhirnya memberontak dengan mengusir sang pemilik peternakan dan mendirikan "negara" sendiri. Disini kita bisa meng-analogi-kan Major sebagai Karl Marx, Mrs Jones sbg Tsar, peristiwa pemberontakan yang disebut Rebellion oleh para binatang sebagai Revolusi Bolshevik. Mereka merumuskan suatu paham yang mereka sebut Animalism (komunisme) yang dituangkan dalam The Seven Commandment, menciptakan bendera hijau bergambar kuku/cakar dan tanduk (palu & arit) dan tentu saja memiliki lagu kebangsaan sendiri (The Beasts of England) Hehehe...
Ketenangan negeri Animal Farm menjadi kacau ketika para babi yang digambarkan sebagai binatang yang pandai mulai serakah. Diawali dengan "kudeta militer" yang dilakukan Napoleon, seekor babi yang haus kekuasaan. Ia menjadi seorang diktator di AF. Memata-matai para penduduk dan menghukum binatang2 yang dianggap sebagai mata2 dan penghianat. Dan seperti biasa, para diktator (entah itu binatang atau manusia) sepertinya memiliki penyakit yang sama yaitu semakin lama ia berkuasa maka semakin narsislah dia! Napoleon mulai mendirikan patung dan gambar dirinya di AF, menciptakan lagu dan puisi yang memuja mereka habis2an, memperingati ultah secara nasional dan tentu saja menganugerahi diri sendiri dengan berbagai medali kepahlawanan. Para pemimpin AF mulai memutar balikan fakta sejarah (sejarah selalu ditulis oleh para pemenang), memodifikasi, membengkokan dan bahkan melanggar Seven Commandment yang telah mereka sepakati diawal revolusi. Membodohi rakyat yang tambah lama tambah bego dan sengsara aja. Aku bener2 sedih melihat nasib si Boxer.

Denger2 sih dulu Stalin jadi keki berat dan melarang buku ini beredar di Uni Soviet (kesindir kali dia) Hehehe... Soalnya kelakuan si Napoleon tambah lama emang tambah mirip dia sih.
Akankah AF akan mengalami keruntuhan seperti halnya komunisme dan Uni Soviet?
Atau malah akan menemukan kejayaannya? Baca sendiri deh... kalo penasaran itu juga :)
Gileee... bukunya tipis abis tp review-nya panjang amaaaat... Ampun deh. Heu...

Next destination! Another Orwell's... 1984
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Jul 16, 2008 Reza rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

مزرعه حيوانات از آن دسته كتابهائيست كه هميشه مي توان خواندش. ايده هايي كه از يك دغدغه ناب انساني سر چشمه مي گيرند ، چيزاهايي نيستند كه تاريخ مصرف داشته باشند. هرچند بيش از چندين دهه از عمر آن مي گذرد اما ، داستاني كه جرج اورول با روايتي جذاب و در عين حال ساده بيان مي كند ، در همه دوران تازه خواهد ماند چرا كه به نوعي روايت وجهي مهم از وجود انساني ماست:قدرت
داستان مزرعه حيوانات ،‌ ماجراي حيواناتيست كه براي رهايي از جور و ستم انسان دو پا ، بر عليه مالك مزرعه با شعار " همه حيوانات برابرند " دست به ا...more مزرعه حيوانات از آن دسته كتابهائيست كه هميشه مي توان خواندش. ايده هايي كه از يك دغدغه ناب انساني سر چشمه مي گيرند ، چيزاهايي نيستند كه تاريخ مصرف داشته باشند. هرچند بيش از چندين دهه از عمر آن مي گذرد اما ، داستاني كه جرج اورول با روايتي جذاب و در عين حال ساده بيان مي كند ، در همه دوران تازه خواهد ماند چرا كه به نوعي روايت وجهي مهم از وجود انساني ماست:قدرت
داستان مزرعه حيوانات ،‌ ماجراي حيواناتيست كه براي رهايي از جور و ستم انسان دو پا ، بر عليه مالك مزرعه با شعار " همه حيوانات برابرند " دست به انقلاب مي زنند و كش و قوس هاي وقايع اين انقلاب ، خط روايت داستان را شكل مي دهد.رويكرد فكري و نگاه بسيار عميق اورول به مسئله قدرت و آرمانگرايي انساني در كنار داستانپردازي بديع و نثر بسيار زيباي اورول - اگر متن انگليسي آن را بخوانيد - اثر ماندگار و تامل برانگيزي را شكل مي دهند كه هيچگاه غبار تاريخ از درخشش آن نمي كاهد. گذشته از همه اينها ، "مزرعه حيوانات " مانيفست بسياري از انقلابات تاريخ است. سرگذشت آرمانهاي بازيچه شده در دستان قدرت ، حماقت معصومانه و يا شايد معصوميت احمقانه توده ها و پاياني طنز آلود كه اورول با گزاره اي متناقض نما و به تعبيري سو رئال - اين شايد ماهيت همه انقلاب هاست كه در آن كراهت چهره واقعيت ما را به گذار از آن وا مي دارد - رقم مي زند:
همه حيوانات برابرند ولي بعضي برابرترند...

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Jun 06, 2007 Douglas Teixeira rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: nobody

The book "Animal Farm" I hated so much. I have never read a book that bored me as much as this one. I only read this because I was required to as a class. This book made me want to sleep after every single word. But to not be so harsh I believe I disliked this book so much because it was something I would normally never read. Its one of those books that teaches you lessons as you go along reading others. One lesson i learned from the book was if I know something and i'm not planning to help any...more The book "Animal Farm" I hated so much. I have never read a book that bored me as much as this one. I only read this because I was required to as a class. This book made me want to sleep after every single word. But to not be so harsh I believe I disliked this book so much because it was something I would normally never read. Its one of those books that teaches you lessons as you go along reading others. One lesson i learned from the book was if I know something and i'm not planning to help anyone then there is no point in learning it. I personally would not recommend it because i didn't like it. But if you like these types go for it. This book is based on a true event that happened in this world but the strange things are is the characters are all animals. This book talks about how the animals are tired of being overworked and underappreciated. So they rebel against their leader and create their own type of ruling. But things take a turn for the worse when 2 out 3 characters begin to get greedy with the powers that they are given. They begin to use their intelect and wity conversation skills to either brainwash the other animals or enforce their will on the animals. One scene that I remember is when the 2 pigs that b egan to get greedy run the only good pig out of the farm. They consfiscated a couple puppies at a young age from their mother in order to train them to become bodyguards for both the two pigs. After the puppies grow Napolean, one of the greedy pigs. uses them to run the only decent pig out of the farm. After this everything begins to go downhill. The animals unwitingly believe things will sort themselves out by themselves but they come to a horid conclusion. The farm goes back to being the way it was when they had there human owner but know with animals. Napolean ends up treating the animals worse than they were treated before. Anyone opposes him would be executed. So the animals begin to regret what they have done but its too late for them to do anything about it. (less)

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Oct 31, 2008 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

Allegories & anti-communist literature often leave me cold. This is both & could easily have been done poorly. Instead, it was perfect. Orwell manages to fit a farm seamlessly to communism in a way that makes me want to laugh & cry at the same time. It's short, sweet & to the point. Wow! What wonderful points he makes, too. He pokes holes in the theories of collectivism until it's leaking like a sieve & wraps up in style. It's been years since I last read it, but I still have...more

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Sep 26, 2009 Anoud rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

As I just finished reading the novella, I found myself incredibly wearing an air of extreme excitement!! And I couldn't help it but to run towards the computer to write a review about it!

Animal Farm is one of the most spectacular literary works of all the time, not only during the 20th century. However, in order to get it right and enjoy its brilliance, you ought to go back in time and look at the conditions and events where this stunning novella was born. Orwell's novella is about a group of an...more As I just finished reading the novella, I found myself incredibly wearing an air of extreme excitement!! And I couldn't help it but to run towards the computer to write a review about it!

Animal Farm is one of the most spectacular literary works of all the time, not only during the 20th century. However, in order to get it right and enjoy its brilliance, you ought to go back in time and look at the conditions and events where this stunning novella was born. Orwell's novella is about a group of animals who live in a farm called "Manor Farm", owned by their master, Jones. The animals grow enthusiastic to get their freedom, and be the masters of themselves. They seek nothing but breaking away from tyranny, enjoy equality and fair living that have been demonstrated to be achieved by one way only; Jones's and all other human race's expulsion. Eventually, the rebellion, of the animals, succeeds. Nonetheless, things turn to be worse than before. Those animals who promised for freedom, dignity and better living turned to be as cruel as the humans they once hated- or even worse!

In my opinion, this story can be read in two different levels. The first one is the real purpose and motive of the author in which he wrote this novella. It was a sharp criticism of Stalin's and his government corruption rather than criticism of communism-as a system- as some may think. Tyranny of the Leader, corruption of government and absolute ignorance of people, were the fundamental blocks, I believe, in which Orwell built his novella upon. The kind of symbolism used and the way of description draw clearly a political allusion. In addition to this, the nature of the characters and the way they were depicted can tell you a great deal about the author's main purpose. For instance, you would know the dogs, in the novella, represent police, military or something like that! Also Squealer he would clearly be seen something like a Minister or so!

On the other level, one may look at the whole thing with totally different view; human beings, their nature and various innate desires. What may authority, power and control change in humans? How could they alter their beliefs and principles? And how harsh life would treat those who are powerless? Submission or rebellion? Many questions may arise while you read this book ………. despite its simplicity!
Definitely one of the greatest books ever!
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Jun 12, 2012 Giorgi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

forms of any government like it (not only communism) beginning with admiracion ,continuing as disappointment and ending fatal ,politicians begans as a layer but after .......corruption.......murder........tyrant.......pig and finally dustbin of historythis everything is so clear in this book

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